Glossary · Marketplace
What are essential health benefits?
Essential health benefits are 10 categories of services that health plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act, including doctors' services, hospital care, prescription drugs, pregnancy and childbirth, and mental health services.
Definition and figures from HealthCare.gov glossary, checked October 23, 2026. This page explains the term; it does not recommend a plan.
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Essential health benefits: the facts
| Item | Fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of categories | 10 | HealthCare.gov glossary: Essential health benefits |
| Dental | Children's dental required; adult dental optional | HealthCare.gov glossary: Essential health benefits |
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What does essential health benefits mean in health insurance?
Essential health benefits are 10 categories of services that health plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act, including doctors' services, hospital care, prescription drugs, pregnancy and childbirth, and mental health services.
RUN IT IN RIVVI
Ask how essential health benefits works on your plan
Rivvi explains the term from public CMS, Medicare.gov, and HealthCare.gov sources and works through an example with your numbers.
Expand my textFree to start. Opens Rivvi, the AI workspace for healthcare teams.
2M+ interactions500K+ patientsHIPAA BAA